In the next large crypt, the servant of the Plague God also turned out to be an adept of Earth magic. This significantly facilitated the clearing process, as I already knew what to expect and how to act, making the fight much easier than the first one. In the third hall, the servant of Nulgle used Lightning magic. His spells were much more rapid and harder to dodge, but he needed much longer to recharge them, which I took advantage of. Thus, unhurriedly and methodically, we eventually cleared the entire dungeon. Then we returned to the beginning and collected the empty baskets and bags we had left there. After that, I began to inspect the crypts for loot.
In Ain, you couldn't skip a clearing and collect twice as much the next time. The amount of resources in dungeons did not proportionally increase if you skipped a dungeon clearing. However, some amount of resources did carry over from one weekly cycle to another if not all the loot was removed from the dungeon. This part was not very large, about ten percent. So, clearing a dungeon once a month and extracting four times the accumulated loot did not work. Hence, no one on Ain purposely engaged in such a strategy, as no one wanted to miss out on the weekly and stable profit. But since this dungeon had not been fully explored for many years, I was hoping for a rich haul.
And the very first crypt fully met my expectations. From each sarcophagus, I extracted a handful of ancient silver coins, which were still in circulation in Ain. Besides the money, I occasionally found some jewelry, often made of solid gold and sometimes studded with precious stones or pearls. Before picking up each such piece of jewelry, I carefully examined it, fearing to grab some cursed item. Due to arising doubts, I had to leave two quite beautiful, although broken diadems, as when I illuminated them with Manifestation of Light, it seemed to me that something was wrong with them. Despite my lack of certainty, I decided not to touch these diadems just in case and left them lying in their places.
After all the sarcophagi had been inspected and looted, I set the basket aside and began to study the crypt more thoroughly. I was searching not only for hidden compartments but also hoping to find the Rune of Death. This dungeon seemed like the perfect place for such a search. I didn't see any runes, but I did find a hidden compartment containing a small bowl made of Valirium. My "Understanding of the Hidden" achievement, which allows seeing through Sacred Barriers, came into play here. However, just like the diadems I had encountered earlier, I didn't dare to take the bowl from its hiding place, as it literally reeked of Darkness, and who knows what curse might have been placed on this clearly ritualistic object.
In the end, inspecting the room probably took me three times longer than clearing it of the undead. But I didn't want to miss anything important and even searched all the corpses, though I found nothing on them except remnants of armor and rusty weapons. I asked Katasakh whether I should bother taking the blades used by the undead. Despite their age and rust, this steel could be sold for smelting. It's not much money, but as the locals say, "copper saved is gold earned." To my question, Katasakh replied that I shouldn't waste time on such trifles.
I also completely emptied the next crypt. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any secrets in it. However, apart from a bracelet studded with dark stones that raised suspicions, this time, I took everything of value. Then came the next crypt, and then another, and another... In the seventh crypt, I again found a treasure hidden behind a magical barrier. There was a slightly curved dagger with a dark obsidian blade and a richly decorated handle, topped with a large ruby the size of a fingernail. This item was clearly worth a decent sum of money, but, as with the bowl, it emanated something dark and sinister. Perhaps this dagger was used by priests of Darkness to slit the throats of their victims. For a few seconds, greed wrestled with caution inside me, and eventually, caution prevailed, and the dagger remained in its place. As with the first hidden compartment, I kept quiet about this find to avoid tempting the tunnellers. They are, of course, intelligent people, but who knows how fate might turn? What if some special need arises, because of which one of them decides to risk and take the cursed items?
After the smaller crypts, it was time for the larger mausoleums. I spent even more time on them but also extracted almost three times more treasures from each. Then, I returned and inspected them again. I scoured all the walls, literally sniffed every floor tile, and even climbed the columns to examine the ceiling. Regrettably, I didn't find the Rune of Death. However, I did discover a hidden compartment in each of the mausoleums. Like in the crypts, each contained one item clearly cursed by Darkness: a gold-embroidered coverlet, a Valirium ring with a diamond, and a strange, twisted, wooden staff reminiscent of Sidhe. As with previous finds, I decided not to touch them, carefully closing all the compartments. I also didn't forget to search the servants of Plague. On the body of each, I found a pouch full of gold, but their staffs turned to dust after the undead were laid to rest, to my slight disappointment. After pouring the coins on the ground and illuminating them with Manifestation of Light, finding no trace of Darkness, I collected the finds in the basket with relief.
While inspecting the last mausoleum, I thought the cracks in the ceiling stones formed some pattern. Climbing up a column to the very top, I examined this pattern more closely, but to my disappointment, it turned out to be just a random accumulation of cracks and fractures. I was about to jump down when my gaze fell on the coals in the brazier, which continued to burn with a dim light. I suddenly noticed that the coals were not only not extinguishing but were also arranged in a way that they simply could not naturally lie, as if some force held them in this strange, yet orderly state. Coming down, I approached the brazier and memorized the pattern formed by the coals. Then I moved to another mausoleum and discovered the same thing there. The coals there formed exactly the same pattern. I checked the crypts, and everything repeated there, too. This simply couldn't be a coincidence, and, explaining my doubts to the tunnellers, I asked to stay a bit longer in the dungeon.
Then I returned to the last mausoleum and, sitting in front of the brazier in the lotus position, immersed myself in meditation. This bore fruit, and I realized that an unknown force arranged the coals in the brazier into a Rune. Despite my efforts, I couldn't comprehend this rune, but I managed to understand its meaning. This meaning was quite simple and, in its own way, logical for such a place. The coals in each of the braziers were arranged into the Rune of Plague.
After emerging from meditation, I stepped back a few paces and, with outstretched arms, used the spear's blade to tip over the edge of the brazier. To my relief, the coals that spilled out from it fell haphazardly on the floor, meaning the rune was destroyed. Just in case, I scattered them around and, returning to the corridor, asked Aklak to check the air in the mausoleum. As I suspected, as a result of my actions, the air in the room became much cleaner, with only the spores from the zombies, or more precisely, from the disease-causing growths on their bodies, remaining as the source of danger.
"What did you do?" Aklak asked, greatly surprised, after checking the air.
"Wait a moment," I brushed him off thoughtfully, "I'll do this a couple more times, and if the result is the same, I'll explain everything."
So, I turned over the braziers in the next mausoleum and also in one of the smaller crypts. The result was the same in all cases, and the air became significantly cleaner.
"So, here's the thing," I addressed the tunnellers, "In each of the crypts, both small and large, there are braziers. You couldn't have missed them before. The coals in these braziers form the Rune of Plague, which, apparently, is polluting the air inside. This is also why, as there are no such braziers in the corridors, the air there remains clean. I've overturned all the braziers, but I'm sure they will be restored when the dungeon resets." The tunnellers, who had initially been pleased by these words, became sad again. "But! I'm sure if you overturn the brazier in the crypt before starting the clearing, the air in the room will be purified. The braziers are massive, and it would be difficult to topple them with Air magic. But heavy arrows, especially if you choose the right tip, should be able to handle this task."
"So, if we first overturn the braziers, the rune will be destroyed, lose its power, and the air will become clean?" Dragan asked me for confirmation.
"I think so," I affirmed his correct understanding. "But it won't save us from new air contamination if spores from the rotten growths on the zombies get into it," I quickly added, to avoid leading people into dangerous misconception.
"We've been careful not to touch those growths anyway," shrugged Sigerik, "so we don't need to get used to being cautious. And if Om Raven is correct…"
"What do you mean 'if'?" Burn interjected, but I cut him off.
"Sigerik is right. I'm not completely certain. There's a nine out of ten chance I'm correct, but my conclusions could still be a mistake. Just test this theory, and if it's true, you won't have to hold your breath before starting a fight anymore."
Genuine smiles appeared on the faces of the tunnellers, understandably so, because if I'm not mistaken, their work would become much easier. While they were discussing this news, I called Katasakh aside for a private conversation.
"And another thing... I found five hidden dark artifacts. Each of them is clearly cursed by Darkness, so I didn't touch them. Nevertheless, from past experience, I know that if these items are removed from the dungeon, the monsters inside will significantly weaken. But I personally wouldn't dare to handle this. Here, we need a priest of Antares or an experienced mage from the Artifactors' Guild."
"Where are they located?" asked the old-looking tunneller.
"I won't tell you. A priest or a mage-artifactor will find them on their own, and they will certainly be of no use to you."
"Finding a specialist mage or a Light priest of Wootz rank willing to venture here will be difficult," Katasakh scratched his head, not insisting on an answer.
"Perhaps I'll linger in the Rur region, and if so, I'll try to help you with this issue."
"We would be extremely grateful," bowed the Wootz archer in a gesture of sincere respect.
"It's too early to thank me," I grimaced, "but even if I can't help you, you know who to look for. I'm sure, if you're not stingy and offer a good price, you'll find a specialist mage. It's in your best interest, after all."
"I understand that very well," Katasakh agreed with me.
My observations about the influence of hidden artifacts were indirectly confirmed by the fact that this dungeon turned out to be significantly more challenging than a first-tier one should be. It was fortunate that the local group of tunnellers consisted of seasoned fighters who could have achieved much more if they hadn't hit the barrier of the First Wall. For a less experienced team, any clearing of the Bogash Tomb would have posed far more problems and difficulties.
Before we even left the dungeon, Burn suggested preliminarily assessing how much loot was in the baskets. But Katasakh objected, and I supported him, stating:
"Money loves silence."
"Wise words," agreed Dragan.
In the end, we didn't inspect the baskets even when we left the dungeon, but headed straight to Katasakh's home. Moreover, when we emerged into the village, at the insistence of the team leader, everyone adopted a sad and exhausted demeanor, which was usually the look of tunnellers after clearing the Tomb. In my opinion, this was the right approach, as abundant loot could provoke envy in someone, and it's better to avoid that if possible.
When we settled in the large living room of the two-story mansion belonging to the captain of the local tunnellers, his wife served the table and then left us alone. Only after a quick bite and a symbolic toast with wine to our success and to the fact that no one contracted any diseases did we start counting. The main difficulty was accurately appraising the stones and determining the value of some damaged jewelry. But Katasakh was an experienced tunneller and knew the local prices very well. As I was confident that lying in front of two sheriffs was not in the interests of the head of the tunnellers, I relied on his assessment.
First, we deducted taxes, and everyone sadly looked at the decent pile of silver and gold that moved into a separate chest. I viewed this money with no less regret than the others, but as a sheriff of the Guild myself, I naturally refrained from suggesting we conceal part of the loot. The appraisal and counting of the spoils lasted almost until noon, but rushing in this matter was not advisable, which each of us understood. And fortunately, there were almost no disputes over shares, which often happens after such a profitable expedition. I only had to reprimand Aklak once, and that was enough to deter anyone from trying to claim more than what was agreed upon earlier.
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Excluding all taxes, three hundred and fifty-three gold ended up in my purse. I took my share in ancient coins, which were still in circulation. For a single expedition into a Wootz dungeon, this was an astronomical sum by local standards. Katasakh even had to remind his people that we only earned so much because the Bogash Tomb hadn't been fully explored for many years if not decades. If the expeditions there became weekly, it would be good if they earned a hundred gold per entry. However, such an amount for one expedition was still a considerable sum for the Wootz rank.
After the counting and distribution were completed, the tunnellers suggested throwing a big celebration to mark the rich haul, but I declined, mentioning that the Path awaited me. Katasakh, Patrick, and Dragan accompanied me to the tavern where I collected my belongings, and then walked me to the main road. Each of them sincerely - or at least it seemed so - assured me that they would gladly join me on an expedition again. And if I happened to stay in the Rur area, they would be happy to see me.
In principle, I could have stayed in Silver Meadow for a while, thereby participating in clearing a couple more dungeons. Especially with an already-tested group, it would have been easier. And getting Achievements for the first dungeon expedition would be far from superfluous. This would probably even be the most sensible decision, as I was sure that Katashi would not leave Rur before reaching Opal.
But I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was subconsciously delaying my meeting with Kay. I kept getting distracted from this task and easily veered off course. Today, I think I understood why this was happening. The reason was that I had stopped liking the plan to meet with the future God of Labor, which I had devised long ago. This plan too closely resembled the manipulations questers use against us, earthlings. What was I planning to do? First, to buy some armor from Katashi, and then to render it completely useless. Not by my own hands, as Katashi, being a master craftsman, could easily recognize deliberate sabotage, but by going into a dungeon wearing the bought armor and getting hit a few times. For instance, let's assume that Katashi is currently working on a technologically advanced, in terms of production, plate armor. Its components could be made even by the most unskilled apprentices, with only the final assembly done by the master blacksmith. I would buy such a suit of armor and head to a place like the Slime Dungeon, where the slime of monsters easily corrodes fastenings if their spit hits the armor's weak spots. Then, I would return to Kay and make a scene, demonstrating the broken armor and the injuries I received due to its imperfections. After the tirade, I would point out the mistakes and oversights to the Japanese craftsman. The final step would be to insist, focusing on the flaws I observed in the design, that he creates armor according to my blueprints. Anyone else would have failed this trick; Katashi's character is too complex for such a straightforward approach. But in the Last Cycle, "I" spent several months with Kay and knew what pressure points to hit and what arguments to use.
Isn't that just like a quester in human guise? No difference. First, create conditions favorable to oneself, and then offer the other party a choice that's really no choice at all.
Despite the fact that this plan would have certainly worked, I simply didn't want to execute it. This reluctance was probably why I kept delaying my journey at every opportunity. Thus, stopping in Silver Meadow, despite its advantages, would now be akin to surrendering to my reluctance to meet with Katashi. This, in turn, cast doubt on my resolve to achieve my main goal at all costs. So, gritting my teeth, I bid farewell to the tunnellers, gave some advice to the young sheriff, and began walking briskly along the trade route to the west.
This time, I didn't break into a run but maintained a brisk pace, frequently overtaking trade caravans and slowly moving trudging carts. I temporarily abandoned my training, immersing myself in the "memory of the future," recalling everything I knew about Katashi.
He was a person with a rather complex character, very determined and placing the achievement of his goals above the costs. Nevertheless, he rarely stepped on others to achieve his aims, as he had well-formed moral principles from Earth, which he didn't abandon in Ain. Perhaps, of all the Shards I knew, he could be called the most sensible. He was stubborn in his own way, but the same could be said about Arien, Nate, and, of course, Dice. However, Katashi had a rather rare trait: he could listen and, most importantly, hear. Of course, if he set his mind to something, it was very hard to change, but nevertheless, if you presented logical arguments, he could concede. Such concessions were rare, but examples of this were found in my "memory."
This aspect of his character made me think that during our meeting, I could forgo cunning plans and try to simply talk to him. "Simply" is definitely not the right word, but by choosing the right words and timing, there was every chance of getting through to him. And if such a conversation didn't work out, the loss wouldn't be too great.
Despite the fact that Katashi initially developed a bit slower than the other Shards in the early stages of the Last Cycle, by the Precious Coil, he caught up with them, and on the Legendary Coil, he even outpaced Arien and Nate in growth. On the other hand, if I could persuade him not to make the mistakes that slowed him down in the Last Cycle, it would undoubtedly benefit not only him personally but also other earthlings.
It would also be helpful to find a way to introduce Kay to Ronin, as their perspectives aligned in many ways, and their collaboration, a genius blacksmith and an excellent warrior-practitioner with a deep understanding of defensive armament, seemed very promising. In the Last Cycle, as far as my "memory of the future" can be trusted, it was Ronin's arguments that made Kay reconsider some of his approaches, thereby putting him on the "right path." But since I don't know Ronin's current whereabouts, it might be appropriate for me to fill his role. The more I thought about it, the more appealing this idea became. Specifically, to avoid cunning manipulations and just talk to the Japanese craftsman. Of course, it won't be easy; Katashi is not the easiest person to converse with. And before meeting him, I need to find out exactly what he's busy with and what project he's trying to implement at the moment.
The decision I made significantly lifted my spirits. Even though I understood that the primary reason for this was that my new plan of action distanced me from the methods used by questers, a smile still appeared on my face. Picking up the pace and transitioning to my usual light jog, I reached the relatively large city of Bordum, near which the village of Hamna was supposed to be located. The very settlement where, according to the armor merchant, he met the young and talented blacksmith who forged the Japanese Do-maru armor.
Not bothering to point out the significance of my Guild Sign, which none of the city guards recognized, I paid the required toll and passed through the city walls. If my memory served me right, Bordum was considered the fourth largest city in the Rur region and was almost one and a half times larger than the likes of Katiyer. It was situated on the bank of a calm and full river, and this convenient location near the waterway made it the trading center of all the surrounding lands.
From the conversations of the traders I overtook on the road, I had already learned that the city belonged to the ancient noble Diomer family. The current ruler almost never interfered with the city's daily life, leaving full authority to the trade council. The ruling count himself spent more time on hunting and entertainment. The fact that the city was essentially governed by traders was evident at first glance. The number of various shops and small stores was astonishing; almost every other house on the ground floor was dedicated to commercial needs. However, the number of barkers who almost grabbed you by the arms to persuade you to enter their shops seemed excessive to me.
A few blocks before reaching the central square, I turned into the first inn I came across, attracted by its succinct sign featuring the image of a soft bed. Apparently, this place was popular, as only two rooms were available. Since it was not particularly important to me where to drop my belongings, I paid a clearly inflated price and rented a small room on the second floor with a window overlooking a quiet courtyard. After leaving my things there, I immediately went downstairs and headed out for a stroll around the city, unburdened by excess luggage.
Glancing into armor and weapon shops along the way but finding nothing noteworthy, I quickly reached the central square. Despite the fact that Bordum was built after the Fall, it tried hard to resemble ancient cities. This was especially evident in its central square, which reminded me of Tries, albeit on a much smaller scale, and there certainly wasn't enough space for an Arena here.
What caught my attention was the Artifactors' Guild building, situated right opposite the Tunnellers' Guild branch. Since I hadn't personally been to this city in the Last Cycle, the presence of an Artifactors' Guild branch in Bordum was a bit of a discovery for me. Putting off further exploration of the city shops for later, I returned to the inn, picked up the wooden case with Boundless Pride, and headed back to the central square. To be honest, constantly carrying this powerful artifact on my back was quite a hassle, and I would have been glad to be rid of it for a while. Moreover, bringing Pride to Katashi seemed like not the best idea, as, knowing the Japanese's curiosity when it came to ancient and unique weapons, it could have far-reaching consequences. So, with a confident stride, I crossed the square and entered the Artifactors' Guild branch through its massive, bronze-bound oak doors.
The fairly large, long hall of the branch was well-lit by magical lamps. Unlike oil lamps, their magical counterparts provided a more even and steady glow. Such lighting was quite expensive, as it required constant magical power, and its presence immediately indicated to all who entered that the artifactors were certainly not in need. In all other respects, a calm and businesslike atmosphere prevailed. All three desks, where visitors were being served, were currently occupied, and a young, pretty maid asked me to hold on for a little while. As there was no large queue, I agreed to wait with ease and began to examine the numerous parchments that adorned all the walls of the hall.
After quickly glancing over the principal guild regulations, which I already knew in general, I moved to another wall, where various announcements were displayed. Nothing unusual there either, almost the same as in the Tunnellers' Guild, with a focus on the specifics of the guild. However, one announcement, old and with faded ink, caught my eye. It offered a reward for turning in dark artifacts. This immediately made me think of revisiting Bogash's Tomb, as the rates in this announcement seemed quite attractive. Of course, I would then have to concern myself with protection against the effects of items imbued with Darkness, but that was a solvable problem.
While I was thoughtfully standing in front of this old announcement, one of the tables became free, and the maid who approached me invited me to come over. Behind the massive desk, cluttered with scrolls of parchment and old volumes, sat a rather young Steel mage dressed in a robe painted in the guild's colors. His wooden staff, carved from light ash wood with a bird's beak-like top, was leaning against the wall behind him.
"Phoenix Shaym, an acolyte of the Artifactors' Guild," the young man introduced himself, "how can I assist you?" His gaze lingered on my Sheriff's Sign, but he didn't dare to ask about it.
"Om Raven Alexandrite, I want to rent a personal safe."
"What size of safe are you interested in, and for how long?" He lifted a thick tome from the corner of the desk, placed it in front of himself, and opened it roughly in the middle.
"As for the size," I placed the case with Boundless Pride in front of me, "it should fit this without any problems."
"One of the weapon storages will be suitable," the mage nodded and made a note in the book in front of him. "The duration?"
"Six months, with the possibility of either retrieving it earlier or extending the storage without my intervention."
It's still unknown when I will find Max Kramer, and carrying Boundless Pride through the Gates would be way beyond the capabilities of my wallet. So, for now, it's better if this ancient sword lies in a safe until I find its future owner.
The acolyte made another note in the book and then asked another question:
"Any other requests?"
There were some, but they were quite formal, which I mentioned only to avoid causing unnecessary suspicion. After completing all the formalities, the acolyte accepted my payment and led me to the underground storage of the branch, where I parted with Boundless Pride for some time. There, when we were alone in the storage room, I had to reassure the artifact sword that I was not abandoning it and would definitely return for it when I find hands worthy of such a unique weapon. A bit of flattery and the argument that I couldn't afford to move through Ain using Sundbad's Gates with this sword on my back managed to somewhat calm Boundless Pride, and it allowed itself to be placed in the weapon chest, the key to which I kept.
After that, having returned to the main hall, I inquired Phoenix Shaym about the announcement, which mentioned the reward for turning in dark artifacts. From this conversation, I realized that my suggestion to Katasakh to find a mage-artifactor or a priest of Light to locate the cursed items in Bogash's Tomb was overly optimistic. The reality turned out to be more complicated than my assumption. The problem was that in the Tomb, artifacts were hidden behind a Sacred Barrier, and finding masters capable of seeing through such an obstacle was very challenging. Besides knowing how to retrieve cursed items, they first had to be located. For that, the seeker must be a master of Mental arts; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to see past the Sacred Barrier. However, Mental masters are exceedingly rare on the Metallic Coil of the Spiral, as local mages prefer to study this magic only after ascending to the Precious Ranks. So, finding such a unique specialist, strong both in the knowledge of dark artifacts and in Mental arts, is quite a difficult task. At least, Phoenix Shaym knew no one who possessed both qualities.
This young man, however, turned out to be quite perceptive and realized that my curiosity was not idle. He tried to glean more details from me. It was evident that he was new to the Guild, eager to prove himself and be useful. Eventually, I hinted to him that I had visited a dungeon where, "as it seemed to me," I found something resembling a dark artifact but didn't dare to take it to avoid afflicting any curse upon myself. I didn't mention the dungeon's name, not wanting to cast suspicion on Katasakh's group, implying they were delving into dungeons with dark artifacts and possibly aligning themselves with Darkness. Nonsense, of course, but rumors' path is paved with indiscretion and malice. Our conversation ended with Phoenix Shaym agreeing to inquire with his senior colleagues about what could be done in such a situation and asking me to check back in a few days. To which I agreed with a clear conscience.